My Approach to Helping
Change and growth is difficult without support. Feeling disconnected from your own self can feel so painful. When you don't understand what you feel or why you feel it, it may seem like the only way to cope is to bury your feelings and pretend that everything is okay. There is a better way.
I acknowledge your courage to ask for help. I operate my practice from the belief that you have unlimited power and wisdom and that you are the expert of you, but due to life difficulties andor traumas, you may have forgotten this along the way. I help bring awareness and insight into the areas that are most important to you, the ones you have tucked away due to fear, insecurity, or pain. I assist in your return to your whole self.
When we sense that we want and need change, we may become frustrated and uncertain about the next steps to take. In the context of the therapeutic relationship, you may begin to uncover painful memories or uncomfortable emotions, which will be integral to address with time. Therapy is a place that fosters your growth, but sometimes avoidance seems easier. This is due to learned behavior and we will acknowledge and explore this openly together. Before therapy can increase your capacity to cope effectively, we will need to uncover the painful areas first and slowly and safely work on integrating them into your current life experience. I believe past traumas and difficulties can lead us towards renewal, purpose, re-strengthening, and growth.
I operate from the perspective that self-awareness and self-expression are keys to self-compassion, self-fulfillment, and self-efficacy. Emotions are our biggest allies, they inform us about our environment and allow us to take necessary action. Once you befriend your own emotions, it will seem like your whole world is transforming. Slowly and safely opening up the doors inside you where painful emotions and events have been buried will be at the forefront of our work together as I support and guide you on your journey of honest self-exploration and healing.
More Info About My Practice
Healthy relationships are at the cornerstone of emotional, mental, and physical health. Being attuned and present in intimate relationships is key, but even with the best of efforts, breakdowns in communication and intimacy occur. As two people decide to merge their lives together, the complexity of each person's past, as well as internal struggles, comes to light. This can impact the connection as we tend to be blind to our own behaviors that contribute to pain and conflict. We just want things to be better and we want to argue less, but usually we lack the skills to communicate in a way that our partner understands, so we grow frustrated and tired. There is a better way. I love working with couples to help them better understand themselves and their partner, all the while working to foster empathy between two people, helping them back on the road towards a healthier and more loving connection.
Exploring each partner's childhood, self-awareness, and accountability proves invaluable as each partner formulates a deeper understanding of themselves as well as of their partner. In addition, we explore the developmental stage your relationship is currently in, openly addressing each partner's fears and needs as a way of building connection. Couples therapy guides you and your loved one through a process of honest identification of the current unhealthy relationship patterns, while allowing for a compassionate space to discuss emotional boundaries, assertiveness, and communication habits. Each partner's awareness and accountability of ways they contribute to the conflict increases attunement to their partner's needs. This leads the couple towards a healthier and more fulfilling relationship.
Specific Issue(s) I'm Skilled at Helping With
Childhood Trauma
Trauma, Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), PTSD
Adult Children of Alcoholics (ACoAS)
Emotional Abuse & Manipulation
Childhood Abuse, Neglect, Abandonment
Relationship Issues
Couples Therapy
Depression
Anxiety
Anger Management
Low self-esteem
Low self-worth
LGBTQ Affirmative Practice
How Psychotherapy Can Help
At times, we all feel immersed and overwhelmed by negative messages that the world shouts at us. It seems as if everyone always has an opinion about what we should do or who we should be. Therapy involves embarking on a journey of inner awareness and clarity; this brave process helps to quiet external messages and to gain strength and confidence. We then decide when and how to move from where we are to where we want to be. The purpose of therapy is to open all your internal doors, slowly and safely. Your immense power, abundance, and focus has been hidden for too long. You desire connection and depth and you learn how to access that in our work together. Being faced with your own questions, internal struggles, and conflicting messages can be too overwhelming of a task to go at alone. If living authentically and harmoniously is proving to be a challenge for you and you feel overwhelmed by your emotions and thoughts, call me. Honesty, genuineness, and authenticity govern my approach in our working relationship.
Clinicians who offer sliding scale payment structures may offer lower or reduced fees based on an individual's ability to pay. Please contact this clinician for more details regarding their fees or sliding scale policy.